Martin Jol's proposed move to Fulham has encountered a problem, with Ajax refusing to negotiate with the London club over the manager's release. Alistair Mackintosh, Fulham's chief executive, was in Amsterdam today in an attempt to close the deal but he has been frustrated by the Dutch club's stance.

Fulham remain hopeful they will be able to name Jol as the successor to Roy Hodgson, who has left to manage Liverpool, because the Dutchman has told them that he wants to join them. They have also been satisfied that Jol has told Ajax it is his intention to move to Craven Cottage. Mohamed Al Fayed, the Fulham chairman, is driving the deal and he remains determined to get his man.

Ajax, however, do not want to lose Jol, who led them to second place in last season's Eredivisie and success in the Dutch Cup, and they have dug in their heels. It is believed that they have a contractual clause in their favour. Ajax have recorded losses of €20m (£16.9m) and, to Jol's disgust, have released the striker Marko Pantelic and the midfielder Dennis Rommedahl this summer in the first phase of a cost-cutting scheme. They are set to sell the full-back Gregory van der Wiel to Bayern Munich, while Luis Suárez could also be moved on. The Uruguay striker, who scored 49 goals for Ajax last season, has a close relationship with Jol.

Jol has expressed his frustration at being asked to win the Dutch title with one hand metaphorically tied behind his back but Ajax hope they can persuade him to stay and pacify him with concessions over transfer targets and funds. The financial director, Jeroen Slop, and the chief executive, Rik van den Boog, have reportedly told him that he could have a greater percentage of the proceeds from the potential sales of Van der Wiel and Suárez to rebuild the squad.

Jol was quoted by today's edition of the Amsterdam newspaper De Telegraaf as saying Fulham "were interested but, in principle, I'm staying at Ajax", which prompted bewilderment in west London, where the assumption was the comment had to be some sort of political manoeuvring for the benefit of his countrymen.

Tonight, Jol hinted on Dutch television that he might stay at Ajax if his conditions were met. "I am worried about the future and Ajax is worried, too," he said. "But if they think like me, then we can talk again tomorrow. The other clubs like PSV and Twente are getting better and they are not decreasing their squads like Ajax is. If we are really inventive, we can get to the same level as last season. That is what we are talking about – to make ourselves better."

One of Jol's frustrations during his time at Tottenham Hotspur was the conflict over transfer policy with the then sporting director, Damien Comolli, while with his next job, at Hamburg, he was unhappy the club embarked on a spending spree after he had left. His job at Ajax has been made more difficult by the extravagant spending of his predecessor, Marco van Basten.

Fulham's players are on their pre-season tour of Sweden and they are preparing for Thursday's game against Halmstad, under the guidance of the caretaker manager Ray Lewington, from a position of uncertainty. Hodgson's departure has, inevitability, prompted a number of them to consider their futures but the capture of Jol has been billed as the big-name to appease them.

The new manager has a difficult act to follow as Hodgson oversaw the most successful period in Fulham's history. He guided them to the final of last season's Europa League, having 12 months previously taken them to a seventh-placed Premier League finish, the club's best finish in the top flight.